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All vests are not created equal. The DOJ rating is not all it's made out to be as it only has to pass once during a test to qualify for the rating. Most of the vests are also made of the same material. The lighter the vest, the less sheets used to stop the round, or the less coverage of material.
Some companies boast about being able to roll there vest up into a ball with their hands to demonstrate the flexibility of the vest. This means is has minimal sheets to pass the DOJ level certification. If you are actually shot in one of these, the blunt body trauma will be quite bad.
The "breathable" vest is another gimmick. There is no such thing. You may find a breathable carrier at best, but from what I've found is it doesn't really work.
The trauma plate is another issue. They used to mainly be all hard plates; however, the trend has shifted to soft (which I believe is better against gun fire).
My recommendation is Safariland. If you want to be as light and concealable as possible, a level IIA would be the way to go. A level II will give you better resistance with just a little more bulk.
***...and of course after posting, I see how old this thread is.
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